Frying apparatus for foodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides

ABSTRACT

Frying apparatus for foodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides, comprising a plurality of endless frying bands disposed one above the other and passing over rollers, wherein the bands consist of a webbing which is coated on both sides with polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or other substance having similar properties, and the underside of the bands are in direct contact with a heated base having a plane central portion and upwardly curved edge portions in the longitudinal direction of the band, and wherein the foodstuffs are turned at the transition from one band to the band lying therebeneath.

United States Patent Holen 51 May 2,1972

[54] F RYING APPARATUS FOR FOODSTUFFS WHICH ARE TO BE FRIED ON BOTHSIDES [72] Inventor: Kolbein Holen, Gaseid 5, 6000 Alesund,

Norway [22] Filed: Oct. 22, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 83,107

3,256,803 6/1966 Nelson ..99/386 X 3,371,595 3/1968 Peters ..99/400 XFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 963,046 12/ l 949 France ..99/ 3551,267,228 6/1961 France ..99/443 Primary Examiner-Billy J. WilhiteAttorney-McGlew and Toren 57 ABSTRACT Frying apparatus for foodstuffswhich are to be fried on both sides, comprising a plurality of endlessfrying bands disposed one above the other and passing over rollers,wherein the bands consist of a webbing which is coated on both sideswith polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or other substance having similarproperties, and the underside of the bands are in direct contact with aheated base having a plane central portion and upwardly curved edgeportions in the longitudinal direction of the band, and wherein thefoodstuffs are turned at the transition from one band to the band lyingtherebeneath.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures All? 1575 FRYING APPARATUS FOR FOODSTUFFSWHICH ARE TO BE FRIED ON BOTH SIDES The present invention relates to afrying apparatus for foodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides, ofthe type comprising endless bands passing over rollers and located oneabove the other.

The frying apparatus according to the invention is primarily intendedfor frying of meat and fish products, such as fish cakes, meat cakes,fish and meat pieces.

Frying apparatus for frying of products are previously known, andcomprise an endless band which passes over rollers, the foodstuff beingfried upon the bands by means of heat supplied through the band. In theknown apparatus, a thin steel band is used and the said band, duringfrying, passes with its upper portion through a bath of fat which isheated by an underlying heating element. The said known frying apparatushas been encumbered with a number of disadvantages and defects, interalia, there is no ossibility of a rapid adjustment of the fryingtemperature which gives rise to the problem of larger or smallerportions of burnt products. Despite the fact that large amounts of fatare used during frying the band as stated above passing through a bathof fat, foodstuff has stuck fast and been burnt to the band. Theconsequent constant cleaning of the band during operation, andparticularly at the termination of a shift, entails great expense. Inadditionto the fact that the foodstuff is burnt fast to the steel band,the fat is also burnt fast in the material of the band, and the slagmust be scraped off manually. This is time-consuming work and, when theapparatus is cleaned, it must once again be burnt-in with fat in orderthat the products in the next operation are able to leave the materialin the band. The conditions under which frying takes place, namely thatthe foodstuffs swim in fat, limits the use of the frying apparatus sinceonly special mincemeat products can be fried in such conditions. Thebest results are achieved by frying in conventional domestic frying pansand, by reason of the above said disadvantages of-existing fryingapparatus, many large concerns in the mean and fish branch are employinga great number of workers who'fry the meat and fish products on largedomestic frying pans. This is obviously irrational and very expensive.It has not beenpossible to provide frying apparatus which has operatedsatisfactorily,'however.

From baking apparatus for bread products, it is known to arrange aplurality of endless baking bands one above the other where the breadproducts travel from one band and downwardly to another, the productsbeing either turned at the transition from one band to another orbrought downwardly onto the same baking side. It is not possible,however, immediately to convert such bread-baking apparatus to apparatusfor frying of meat and fish. The bread-baking is carried out by indirectheating, that is to say a heated baking oven is used which is heated ina suitable manner.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a frying apparatus forfoodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides, wherein the above saiddisadvantages of previously known frying apparatus of this type areavoided, in such a manner that it is possible to fry the foodstuff in asmall amount of fat and the apparatus is readily kept clean so thatexpensive cleaning work of the apparatus is also avoided.

The invention is based upon the above described and known bakingapparatus for bread products, and the purpose of the invention isachieved in that such an apparatus is characterized by bands consistingof webbing coated on both sides with polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) orother suitable material with similar properties; that the lower sides ofthe bands are in direct contact with a heated base surface having aplane central portion and upwardly curved edge portions in thelongitudinal direction of the band, and that the foodstuffs are turnedat the transition from one band to a band located therebeneath; Afurther feature of the invention resides in the provision beneath thefrying bands of a similarly endless band of perforated webbing whichruns over rollers and upon which the finished products fall, and in thatbeneath the upper portion of thisband a tray is arranged onto whichunabsorbed fat can run, and in that foodstuffs are cooled in knownmanner during transport on the band, for example, by means of jets ofcold air.

By means of this embodiment of a frying apparatus for foodstuffs, it ispossible to fry a larger number of various types of products. It ispossible, practically speaking, to handle all types of products whichare to be fried on both sides from fatrequiring foodstuffs to productswhich can be dry-fried, such as griddle cakes and crumpets. Theapparatus is also simple and inexpensive to produce and simple andinexpensive to operate and clean. The frying bands are uninterrupted,that is to say they consist of a simple band in contrast to thepreviously known frying apparatus for the same type of products whichutilize sectional conveyors where the frying plates are in the form oftwo-part, hinged aprons similar to a waffle-iron.

The invention is further explained in the following by means of thedrawing, which in FIG. 1 shows in diagram form the frying apparatusviewed from the side, and where FIG. 2 is a section through one of thefrying bands.

The frying apparatus according to the invention comprises two endlessfrying bands 1 and 2 of webbing, for example, glass fiber webbing, whichis coated on both sides with teflon. The upper band 1 runs over rollers3, 4 and the second band 2 is arranged beneath the first band and runsover rollers 5, 6. The upper portion of the bands 1, 2 are, with theirlower sides, in direct contact with a heated base 7 which has upwardlycurved edge portions 8, 9 running in longitudinal direction of the band.The base 7 is heated directly on the underside thereof by an electricheating element 10 which is insulated at 11 on the underside thereof andon the edges. The band I, 2 lies flat upon the plane portion of the base7 and upwardly at edges 8, 9 and ismaintained in this position by meansof curved edge beads 12 on both upwardly curved portions 8, 9 of theplate 7'. The frying bands 1, 2 of the above described material areimpermeable to fat, so that no fat appears on the underside of the upperparts, in other words downwardly towards the heated base 7. Any fatwhich is to be used during the frying remains upon the upper side of theband 1, 2, in the channel which is'formed between the upwardly curvedportions 8, 9 on the plate 7. Fat may be added during frying in suchsmall amounts that the band is practically speaking dry when it runsover the end rollers 4, 5. The foodstuffs to be fried, for example, fishcakes 13, are laid upon the band 1 at the lefthand. side of the drawing.The fish cakes are then fried on one side during travel on the band 1 tothe end roller 4. The fish cakes 13 will then fall upon the band 2, theproducts being turned by means of a baffle 14 so that the side which isnot fried is facing the band 2. During travel together with the band 2to the roller 5, the products are fried on the other side thereof. Atthe end of the roller 5, a further baffle 15 is provided which ensuresthat the products fall down upon a further endless band 16 running overrollers 17, 18. The said band is made from perforated material, forexample, a metal web, and conveys the finished products to a collectingbox 19 for the finished-products. During travel on the band. 16 theproducts are cooled, for example, by means of air jets of cold air.Super- .fluous fat can run from the products down into a tray 20 whichis located on the underside of the upper portion of the band Theinvention is not restricted to the embodiment example describedhereinabove and illustratedon the drawing. Several stories of fryingbands can be envisaged and the heating can take place in any suitablemanner.

Having described my invention, I claim l. Frying apparatus forfoodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides, comprising a number ofpairs of spaced rollers, a

plurality of endless frying bands disposed one above the other and eachpassing over a different said pair of rollers, characterized in thatsaid frying bands consist of a webbing which is coated on both sideswith polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), a heated base having a planecentral portion and upwardly curvededgeportions in the longitudinaldirection of the band runs over another said pair of rollers, saidcooling band arranged to receive the ready-fried foodstuffs after theirpassage over said frying bands, a tray arranged beneath the upperportion of said cooling band for the collection of non-absorbed fat, andmeans for cooling the foodstuffs as they are transported upon saidcooling band.

1. Frying apparatus for foodstuffs which are to be fried on both sides,comprising a number of pairs of spaced rollers, a plurality of endlessfrying bands disposed one above the other and each passing over adifferent said pair of rollers, characterized in that said frying bandsconsist of a webbing which is coated on both sides withpolytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), a heated base having a plane centralportion and upwardly curved edge portions in the longitudinal directionof the band disposed in direct contact with the under side of each saidband, and means located at the ends of said bands for turning foodstuffsat the transition from one said band to said band located below it. 2.Frying apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that anendless cooling band is arranged beneath said frying bands, said coolingband consists of perforated webbing which runs over another said pair ofrollers, said cooling band arranged to receive the ready-friedfoodstuffs after their passage over said frying bands, a tray arrangedbeneath the upper portion of said cooling band for the collection ofnon-absorbed fat, and means for cooling the foodstuffs as they aretransported upon said cooling band.